Spring biased parking brake lever



May 4, 1948. F. P. BowER SPRING BIASED PARKING BRAKE LEVER Filed Aug. .8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l May '4, 1948 F. P. BowER SPRNG BIASED PARKING BRAKE LEVER Filed Aug. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

d ATTORNEY Patented May 4,

2,440,928 SPRING BIASED PARKING BRAKE LEVER Frank P. Bower, New Castle, one-halt to T. E. Chambers,

Pa., assiznor of New Castle, Pa.

Application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 781,434 1o claims. (ci. iss- 161) This invention relates to a parking brake mechanism for automobiles and the like. More particularly. it comprises a parking brake lever of conventional for provided with an auxiliary booster attachment, brought into active operation to move the lever to brake-setting position after the initial movement of such lever. It includes the provision of a pair of coiled springs connected with the lever and having a shifting or noating spring anchorage on the lever supporting means, whereby the springs are brought into brake-applying relation to the lever, after the initial movement oi' the lever to brake-setting position.

The invention also includes means for positively moving the floating anchorage for the springs when the brake lever is movedtoward the brake-setting position, and also.v includes means for latching the lever in both the set and lreleasing positions.

The principal object of the present; invention is to -provide a means for supplying," auxiliary power for moving the parking brake mechanism to brake applying position.

Another object of the invention is to provide aparking brake lever with spring connections operative to hold the lever normally in brakereleasing position and subject to automatic movement to hold the brake in brake-applyingv position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety means for attachment to the parking brake mechanism of an automobile which will assist or reinforce the manual means for setting the parking brake, and which will exert suilicient force to maintain the parking brake mechanism in set or holding position independently of the lever latching means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a parking brake mechanism of simple construction and easy of installation and maintenance which will assist in moving the parking brake lever to brake-setting position after the initial movement of the brake lever.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter -fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings, and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting,

. lever is locked by means however, but several of various forms inwhich the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sidev elevation of a parking brake lever and its supporting bracket, showing auxiliary spring lever` operating means embodying the principle of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. l, as seen from the left-hand side of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation offra modified form of parking brake vmechanism embodying the princ'iple of the invention. n

is vclearly shown in Fig. l, the parking brake lever l, is `formed of a pair of spaced plates 23, which may comprise a single plate folded to provide a double plate over the greater portion of its extent with the upper end portions turned inwardly to snugly fit against the opposite sides of the supporting plate or bracket 4, which is iirmly secured in a vertical position beneath the instrument panel board of an automobile or other structure in which a lever system of this character is to be used. Y

The brake lever I is mounted on a pivot pin 5 at its upper end, secured to the supporting plate l, and ata point somewhat below the lower edge of the supporting plate the lever is provided with a cable terminal member B, connected with the cable -l, which band of the parking brake mechanism (not shown).

An arcuate rack member 8 is provided on the lower edge of the supporting plate l, as is shown more particularly in Fig. 3, which rack is engaged by a pawl 9, which is operable by means of a link I0, and lever H, pivotally mounted on the lower end of the brake lever i.

The brake lever l is provided with a pair of coiled springs |2--I3 of suilicient size and weight to provide adequate force to hold the brake lever in ,applied positionirrespective of whether the of the pawl and ratchet mechanism referred to. As is shown in Fig. 2, the springs have hooks or eyes il at their lower ends which engage over grooved studs or pins l5, positioned on opposite sides of the brake lever at a length.

At their upper ends thesprings are provided with eyes or loopsJQ which are engaged in grooves provided near the ends of a short shaft Il'. centrallyof which is mounted a flanged roller ,fadapted to roll jupon a short trackway I8. formed on the rearward end of the top edge o! pointv approximately midway of its is connected with the brake v the supporting plate 4, and preferably disposed parallel to the imaginary chord of the arcuate rack member 3.

The trackway it, as shown in l, is inclined downwardly and is formed with an upstanding limit stop or abutment 2t at its extreme lower end, and with a similar limit stop or abutment 2l at its A4`upper end against which4 the roller will,

normallyf is in its re.V

ased position and the springs lZ-IS function to apply light resilient pressure to hold the lever in such position.

From the construction just explained' it-v-ill Sheff clear that as the parking brake leveris manually moved to brake-applying 1:iosit i `or1'th,lovvererids,A

of the coiled springs i2-l3 will A`be"moveil in a direction to pull the roller t8- downwardlyalong-I the inclined track-way E9 and thereby move the upper ends of the springs outwardly until the applying position, 4and"thereafter"4 the :springs maintain the lever in brake-applying position,

irrespective 4of whether the pawl and-'ratchet meclfionism issecurely engaged 'to hold the lever.

The Vi'noveme'nt of the 'roller iz' alor-ign;- the traokway i9 just described `takes place very quickly as a snap-actionl after th'e'initial movement oi the lira-ke lever in the brakeapplying-A dir'ection'. Such action depends' upon-the relative position-foi the-upper and'low'er ends" of thesprings 'i-2-l'3 and is-'not--a positive- Inovernent of 'theioller brought about by the actionof the'brakelever.- 'f norder` to provide positive movoni-ent of the shifting or floating upper'v ends of the* springs E24-'i3 the modified jform of mechanisinfshown in Figis provided. I Y 'En themodined form' of construction, a' pair di? `nks E2-#23 is provided, connected to' each other by means of a 'rollerl 2li, riding in a slotted trackway -25 formed in' thefsupporting plate-lili' the lever link -22 beingcbnnected with the brake lever :l *by means of apn 2t Vand the link 23 being engaged over theshaft l'i on which the roller i8 is mounted. r'hus, when the lever lis movedV rearwardly, the "pair of `links 22;-2-3 -vvill force f the 4roller i8 along its trackway 149' until it 'fsftri-kes the abutment 2@ at 'the lower fend, and

thepair of springs iQ-'fifwill move past=dead' Center,I erover the pivot of the lever l, andthey Will then eXertl O-c' a' directionto mve orhold the'lever i *ini brake-applying position, as'sllown'inlfull lineSiri'F'g 3f 9 f` 3 V'ihrouglfl the -use of afmechanisrn fshovvnin etiieiiottli'e ormsher'e disclosed, the s a-ie ap-#fplicationfo' the parking brakelmay "oe-depended upon whenever 'the parking brake lever is 'nian uallyfsetginasmuch as-the auxiliary spring means will-reinforce the `-inamual'power applied, and' this :force Will continue telb'e exerted `until s'uch time Jas 1t-he' biiakef 'is -ir'ianually released I -in" theconventional manner.

1 It fis wellfknownthat it o'itenrdicultto applythel parking brake with -`sufficient 'oice' -to hold' 'a car parked' on an inclined ioatlwz'iy"orL parking 'l place, and that fthe `parkiifg 'brfies V"are often released accidentally due' 5 to wear o 'i the parts-.or the parking' trakdmeenamsinIerisiigiiti impact from adjacent vehicles, which causes the vehicle so released to coast and thus cause serious damage. The mechanism herein described. thus provides a safety factor of great importance, which insures the dependable action of a parking brake even when the braking mechanism becomes worn or otherwise inoperative throughthe entrance o f foreign matter into the Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the mech- .ariism herein-'disclosed provided the means stated anybf the following claims or the equivalent'tll'ereoilbe employed.

l, therefore', particularly point out and distinctly clairxnlas myinvention:

apparatus of the character described having in' combination Ta supporting plate positioned vertically beneath the instrument panel of an automobile, a hand vbrake lever formed-of a'pair oi spaced plates with their upmr ends turned inwardly to snugly fit against the opposite sidesoi said supporting plate, a pivot pin'conneoting the upper -end of said hand lever to said supporting plate, a trackway formed on the top edge of -said supporting plate above said pivot' pin, *an arcuate rack member formed on the underside'oi 'saidvsupporting plate beneath said pivot pin, a pawl carried by said hand lever adapted to engage'sa'id-rackmember, means Von' saidhand lever for withdrawing said pawl, a pair' of Istuds' projecting outwardly at vav mid-position of the length of said hand lever, a pair-oi coiled' l springs seciire'dV to said studs at one endQa s 'hait connecting-the 'upper ends o`f s aid springsg) 'a rollerpositii on Ysaid shaft betvveerrV said'r springs :and adapted' to be positioned on said trackway, a vbrakeactuating cable connected to said hand lever beneath said supportingplate,

whereby the movement or ythehand lever rearwardly to brake-applying position 'will change the angular position-'of Ysaid springs 4and 'cause the roller automatically tomove rearwardly along-said trackwa'y to'assi-st in'moving'said hand lever-to brake-applying position.

ZrAha-nd brake mechanism for 'a brake band adapted to 'be contracted upon `-a brake drur, iieii'ible -meansfor connecting said brake v*band to a hand lever, and substantially vertical springs the lower ends 'of which are operatively 'connected tothe brake lever, a floating connection forfthe upper ends of said springs adapted fto movefpastv dead vcenter to brakerapplying posi;-E tion after the lever is inc'ived'over a fractionofits'fpath 'of 'movement Atoward bralie-applying` p'stonl i, 3. A parking brake lever-adaptedto be moved by .-the operator to brake-applying position, means connected with the lever forapp'lying the parkingrbrake, a. pairgof v springs'anchored at operand-adjacent the V-miol--length -oi the brake lever, said. springshaving iloating connection with a roller supported on a trackway at their upper. ends,l whereby movement vof said .brake lever .to "brake-applyingposition will change the sprlngsto assist in movement of saidle'ver iin applying `tlle'parking brake.

je. 'An' "apparatus of the"cli'aracter de scriciedhaving in combination a supporting `plate verti cally'supporftedbeneath the instrument board o'f an automobile, a hand 'brake lever pivoted at its, upper endto said 'supporting plate 'and extending' downwardly 'for movement toI brake-applying and brake-releasing position, an inclined trackway formed on the upper edge of said supporting plate, a roller mounted on said trackway and having a shaft projecting to each side th'ereof, a pair of substantially vertical coiled springs connected to said shaft at their upper ends and connected to said brake lever at their lower ends by means of studs extending laterally of said brake lever, a ratchet formed on the lower edge of said supporting plate and a pawl on said brake lever adapted to engage said ratchet, whereby movement of said brake lever toward brake-applying position will cause said roller to change the angular position of -said coiled springs to assist in the rearward movement of said brake lever.

5. An apparatus of the character described having in combination a lever system comprising a supporting plate, a lever pivoted thereto and normally held at one end of its path of travel, a pair of springs connected at one end to said lever and normally supported at their other ends at one side of the pivot of said lever, and means responsive to the movement of said lever for shifting said other ends 0f said springs to the opposite side of the pivot point of said lever to supply auxiliary power to the action of the lever system in such direction.

6. A safety self-energizing replacement unit Vfor automobile parking brake mechanism, comprising a supporting plate adapted to be secured in a vertical position beneath the instrument board of an automobile, said plate having a recessed area at the top edge thereof providing an inclined trackway, a substantially vertically eX- tending hand brake lever formed of a pair of spaced plates pivotally mounted at its upper end on said supporting plate intermediate the opposite ends of and beneath said trackway, said plates turned inwardly to snugly fit against the opposite sides of said supporting plate, a shaft provided with a roller engaged on said trackway, a pair of substantially vertical coiled springs having their upper ends secured to the opposite ends of said shaft and having their lower ends secured to said hand lever at a point adjacent the operating end thereof, whereby movement of said hand lever in a brake-applying direction will cause movement of said roller along the trackway in a direction to apply auxiliary pressure on said han lever and said braking mechanism.

7. An operative mechanism for a parking brake comprising a plate having a edge cut away to provide a pair of abutting shoulders and an inclined trackway between th'e same, a substantially vertical brake lever pivoted at its upper end at a point intermediate the opposite ends of and below said trackway, said lever formed of metal plates parallel to each other and having their upper ends turned inwardly to engage the side surfaces of said supporting plate, a pair of vertically arranged coiled springs,` a pair of outwardly projecting studs on opposite said hand lever, adapted to engage said rack portion of its topk edge of member to hold said hand lever in brake-applying position, and means on said lever for operating said latching member.

8. In an operating mechanism for a brake, the combination of a plate provided along one edge with an arcuate ratchet and along the opposite lsaid plate with a trackway disposed on the line of an imaginary chord of said ratchet, abutments at opposite ends of said trackway, a hand lever operatively connected with the brake, pivotally mounted on said plate between said ratchet and said trackway and below the latter and between said abutments, a roller adapted to traverse said trackway, a pawl pivotally mounted on said lever and arranged to selectively engage one of the teeth' of said ratchet, means on said lever for controlling the engagement of said pawl with said ratchet and its release therefrom, and spring tension means connecting the shaft for said roller with the outer end portion of said lever for normally maintaining said roller in engagement with one of said abutments, when said lever is in brake release position, and arranged to change the angular position of said tension means and move said roller along said trackway into engagement with the other abutment when said lever is operated in the brake applying direction.

9. A mechanism as claimed in claim 8 wherein is provided between said lever and said roller a linkage arranged to be operated by said lever to move said roller in either direction on said trackway dependent on the direction of movement of said lever.

10. In mechanism for setting and releasing a brake, the combination of a plate having on its upper edge, a substantially horizontal trackway provided at its opposite ends with abutments, a shaft provided with a roller arranged to traverse said trackway and engage one of said abutments when the brake is released and to engage the other abutment in the movement of the brake toward its set position, a pair vertical coiled springs connected at their upper ends to the opposite ends of said shaft, a member operatively connected with' the ments, the kopposite ends of said springs being connected to the outer end portion of said mem- Y move said roller into engagement with the other abutment, whereby auxiliary pressure is applied to the brake in its set position.

FRANK P. BOWER. REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,557,353 Frank Oct. 13, 1925 1,717,383 James June 18, 1929 1,945,070 Pooley Jan. 30, 1934 2,161,334 Carwardine June 6, 1939 2,243,937 Almond June 3, 1941 

